And the Lone Wolf Said
by oskaoska
Summary: While on a family camping trip, Edward Cullen gets lost on a mountain and is rescued by a mysterious boy living alone on the mountain...the intriguing and damaged Jacob Black.
1. Chapter 1

**Warning&Disclaimer**

**I do not own Twilight.  
>This story contains SLASH, meaning boy love. Don't like? Don't read!<strong>

**Summary**

**While on a family camping trip, Edward Cullen gets lost on a mountain and is rescued by a mysterious boy living alone on the mountain, the intriguing and damaged Jacob Black.**

1

Oh.

Shit.

I'm lost.

And this is not the "I think I turned at the wrong corner" sort of lost.  
>This is the holy fuck I'm lost in the middle of nowhere with absolutely no method of contacting anyone lost.<p>

And it's already getting dark.

Forget being manly, I'm freaking out. I'm starting to grow scared shitless.  
>At this point, all I can think of is how I'm either going to be mauled by a bear or die a slow painful death via starvation. For a moment, I wonder which would be a better death, but I quickly snap back to trying to figure out how the fuck I'm going to get back to my family.<p>

I bet they're flipping the fuck out as well.

Oh fuck.

All these creepy forest sounds are really starting to creep me out. I would cry if I wasn't panicking so much.

THINK. EDWARD CULLEN.

I really should've watched more discovery channel or Bear Grylls or SOMETHING.

OK, maybe if I start walking downhill I'll eventually reach some sort of...town or any kind of civilization. That sounds like a good start.

I can hardly see anything. I'm probably going to -

FUCKKKKKK!

OF COURSE I'd fall down and roll down the hill JUST as I'm about to think it. Oh shit, my right leg is killing me. I'm afraid to touch it but it feels like I broke it or something equally severe. It's burning...and yes, that is definitely blood I'm feeling seeping through my jeans.

Now the bears are DEFINITELY going to smell me.

Is this is really how I'm going to die?

Immobile, stuck on a mountain...alone...with my family probably crying their eyes out at this point...at the young age of 17.

Why me. Seriously. Why me.

What have I done wrong in life? I donate all the time, I help others and I swear I try to be a decent human being...yet this happens.

I hear...footsteps.

Oh for the mother of all things holy, let it be a hiker and not some serial axe murderer...please someone help me...pleaseeeee

"Who are you?"

I hear a low voice, but I can't see anything because it's so damn dark now. Maybe I'm hearing things? I can feel the hair on the back of my neck standing up and a chill running down my spine.

"Um, hi, I'm Edward...I'm lost. Can you...help me?"

There is a moment of silence and for a second, I think that I was hearing things.

"...Are you hurt?"

THANK GOD. OK, a real person. That's a start.

"Yeah. Umm, I'm sorry I can't see you...could you...?"

The figure approaches me, and I can't help but hold my breath. All kinds of images run through my head, but I'm mostly expecting a burly, overgrown man all in hiking gear and big animal fur boots.

Fuck! I can almost feel him right in front of me, but I still can't see a DAMN THING. How is this guy seeing anything?

"Let me help you up...hold on tight."

That's all I hear before I feel strong arms lifting me up bridal-style. I don't even bother protesting to this embarrassing position...this man is going to save my life! I wrap my arms around his neck as I'm told and then I feel that the man is not wearing a shirt.

Oh balls, this is a shirtless man walking without any lights in a mountain forest. Am I hallucinating? What he fuck is going on...Maybe I'm dreaming?

"...It's too dangerous to get you out of the mountain at night time. I'll guide you in the morning."

His voice is so...so...reserved? monotone? I don't know what the word is but...it feels strange to my ears. He has a good low voice, but something about it makes my heart clench tightly against my chest.

"...OK...where are we going to stay till then?"

"At my place."

I MAY have misheard him.

"Your...place? But you said-"

"I live here."

"Here...as on this mountain? Around here?"

"...Yes."

For some reason, I feel like I've offended him, so I try to rationalize this in my head. So...he must be one of those guys who live alone on a mountain meditating or some shit like that. One of those, I hate people and society and technology so I'm going to be one with the nature sort of people. GOT IT.

"That's...nice...Um...I'm Edward."

"...Jacob."

How the hell do I keep THIS conversation going. Christ. Oh, right, with gratitude.

"Thank you very much for...saving me. I thought I was going to die back there..."

"...You're welcome..."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but boy, this guy sounds all timid all of a sudden. Now I'm really curious to see his face. I get the feeling he's not much of a talker so I remain quiet for the rest of the journey.

I have to say, I was quiet shocked to discover a tent-like home in the middle of nowhere. The tent was surrounded by trees...with a small fire glowing in front of what seems like the entrance. There is a rope tied between two trees nearby, with towels and clothes hanging on them. I also see books and notepads stacked to one side, under a sort of a canopy.

He really does live here...

When we get close enough to the fire, I look into his face.

Oh what the...

Instead of a burly mountain man, I see a boy around my age.

His pitch black eyes make contact with mine for a fleeting second before he places me gently on a log beside the fire and rushes into the tent...but that moment was enough to make me forget how to breathe for a sec. Something about his eyes made my heart ache, just as his voice had.

I stared as he came back out of the tent with blanket and a bag in his hand. I watched the short jet black hair covering his now bowed head, his russet-colored skin moving with his extremely tall and well-built figure.

Without a word, he hands me the blanket, which I take gratefully, since it was getting chilly.

He then kneels in front of me and opens the bag, surprisingly revealing a small first aid kit. Without a word, he brings his hands carefully to my right leg and judges the damage careful. I can't help but groan in pain as he presses his hands and fingers against the already pained leg. Every time I groan or hiss, he flinched, forcing me to man up and stay silent.

I almost pull my leg away in shock as he just rips the jeans, exposing my right leg, thigh down. How the HELL did he do that?

He carefully cleans the gash (I knew it!), wiping the blood off and equally carefully dresses the wound. Judging from how he's handling it, he must have had plenty of experience.

When he's done, he sort of bites his lower lip and examines his work briefly before placing all the contents back into the bag. He then stands up and walks away from me, towards the other side of the fire.

He sits across from me, still not making eye contact.

I saw the scars across his chest and arms and now on his back but decided not to ask.

"Thank you...Jacob...right?"

He nods as he adds more branches into the fire.

"How long have you...lived here? Do you live by yourself?"

He bites his lower lip and narrows his eyes and all of a sudden, i feel like such a dick for asking. I'm sure he has his personal reasons for living here...I quickly change the subject by expressing my gratitude once again. He nods slowly and begins to stare into the fire.

He couldn't be older than me. His body was lean, muscular and well-built, but his face still held boyish features.

"Jacob, look. Um...you saved my life and I want to express my gratitude somehow."

At this, he looks up for yet another fleeting moment before reverting his attention to the fire. I decide to just continue.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

He simply shakes his head. It's like he suddenly forgot how to speak.

"Will you at least let me do something for you? Please? I'm sure my parents wouldn't let my lifesaver go just like that!"

To my surprise, he snaps his head up to look at me with such pain in his eyes, I wonder again what I fucked up this time. Was it the parents? What about them? What do I say now? He seems to be deep in thought, his eyes out of focus, so I decide to just wait for him to say something. I see him shake his head and frown, and then a look of frustration overcomes his face, followed by the hurt expression again.

"Jacob?"

I call out carefully, and to my voice, he seems to snap out of his thoughts. He breaks eye contact again and stares at his feet. What was going on inside his head?

Oh frack. It's getting cold. I can't seem to stop my teeth from chattering. Jacob picks up on this and walks over to me. He sits at a distance away from me on the log, and judging from his expression, he has begun his internal turmoil/debate or whatever the hell was going on in that head of his.

Now my body is shaking. Oh it is COLD. Why the hell isn't he cold? He's topless!

Then he inches closer to me, his eyes staring deep into mine, as if he was trying to read into my very soul. He then looks...cautious, as if either I was going to hurt him or if I was made out of something fragile.

Before I can say anything, he's sitting right next to me, and I feel his body's warmth seeping into me. Why had I not noticed this before? He was so...warm...like a human radiator. Oh hell, right now I'm too cold to care...I can't help but lean into him, enjoying the warmth.

He is sitting so still, so quietly...and for a moment, I forget the throbbing pain in my leg.

**There you have it! The very first chapter! Hope you liked it :)**

**Reviews will be greatly appreciated! (and probably encourage me to get the next chapter up quicker! COUGH COUGH! Heh)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning&Disclaimer**

**I do not own Twilight.  
>This story contains SLASH, meaning boy love. Don't like? Don't read! :D<strong>

**I just want to say a BIG THANK YOU to those who left reviews :) Thank you!**

**And yes, you guess it correctly with Jacob's identity and how Edward is indeed human in this fic! I know it took a while to get this chapter posted but I hope you like it!**

E POV

My leg hurts...god it hurts...

But mm...it's so nice and warm...

Oh, that feels good...

So smooth and warm...what is it? It feels like...

...skin?

"Oh shit!" were the first words I blurted out as I opened my eyes and felt my own arms draped around a naked russett skinned torso and my nose buried into what I believed was Jacob's back.

It was one thing to get lost on a mountain and another thing to wake up to see myself clinging onto a topless man. I had to check again just to make sure I was still fully clothed, even though I knew that nothing of such nature had happened.

To my somewhat rude exclamation, I felt Jacob stir. He turned to stare at me, his eyes still sleepy. He yawned and stretched his arms before getting up as if nothing had happened. Not knowing what else I could do and definitely not wanting to sound like some girl and ask what the hell that was all about, I followed outside to see that I had been sleeping in his tent.

It was morning and bright out, which meant I actually had a fairly good night's sleep despite my...circumstances. Still, my leg hurt like hell.

"Here, I'll carry you down." Jacob was the first to break the silence. He walked over to where I was standing, his face completely emotionless and facing the ground before me. He then turned his back to me and croched slightly, while leaning forward.

Did he just say he was going to carry me back down? I realize that I'm half crippled right now, but the very idea of getting a piggy back ride from a man was downright embarassing. He seems to pick up on this, because he turned his head to face me and stareed with those damn eyes that are so firm and pleading at the same time.

Oh damn it all to hell. This guy rescued me, carried me, tucked me into bed and fed me. There really is no salvaging my manhood with this guy so what the hell.

I reluctantly climbed onto his back. His bare, naked back. Awkward.

He stood up and it hit me again how tall he is...and so...warm.

Holy shit. Did I just say warm? Did I just rub my face against his bare back? What the fuck Edward, what. the, fuck.

Luckily, he didn't seem to mind my borderline psycho behavior because he simply started walking. I was quite surprised to see him gliding downhill with ease, as if all the rocks, roots, leaves and whatever else was littering the mountain ground didn't even exist. His steps were firm and knowing, and it didn't even seem to tire him that he was carrying a full grown person on his back.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence and my wondering if I should start a conversation, I started seeing some even ground. We reached what seemed to be the bottom of the mountain!

Now all I need is some civilization!

After a few more minutes of being carried down the mountain, I saw a line of small houses.

THANK GOD. I'm saved! All I need is a telephone and I'm on my way back to my family!

"We're here! We made it!" I basically screamed into Jacob's ear, and to this, Jacob simply flinched and nodded. He slowly put me down and turned around, towards the mountain.

"Woa! Where are you going?" I barely managed to grab his arm, stopping him from his steps. He turned around slowly, his eyes downcast.

"You're not leaving are you? You have to at least see my family! You saved my life."

He bit his lower lip and frowned. He then shook his head, whispering "I need to go." However, I really wasn't the one to just let my lifesaver go like this. I wouldn't be able to sleep comfortably knowing that the person who saved my life was living like some homeless person in a tent on a mountain.

"Please stay." I put on the best puppy-dog look possible. "Come on, stay. Please?" Holding onto this arm, I limped towards the first house I saw. He stopped and I couldn't seem to be able to move him no matter how hard I try. It was as if he was embedded to the ground.

"I...I can't go in."

I looked back at him and saw how nervous he was. I decided not to push him and just asked him to promise me that he'll stay until I just made a quick phone call to my family.

Luckily, the family of the house let me use their phone without much hesitation. My mother Esme picked up and began to cry as soon as she heard my voice. Before I could get any word in, my dad Carlisle had intercepted the phone, asking me where I was and if I was OK. I could hear my sister Alice yelling and sobbing in the background with mom.

Dad had managed to remain as calm as possible, given the circumstances, and said he'll be right over. After hanging up, the family asked if I wanted to wait in the house and have something to drink, but remembering Jacob, I politely declined and limped back outside.

I was glad to see that Jacob had honored the promise and was standing a distance away from the house, fidgeting his feet nervously.

"Dad will be here soon to pick me up." He nodded in response, still not making eye contact. "At least say HI to them, please?" To this he kicked the dirt at his feet and let out a low growl that almost seems animalistic. Wow, that was freaky. Wonder how he did that.

"So um, how old are you?"

"...16."

"Wow, 16. Man, you're a one tall 16 year old. What are you? six two, six three?"

He shrugged and stared at me. Why does he stare at everything so damn intensely? He had this power to render me speechless by just looking at me. Did he not like talking? Should I just shut up and wait before I piss him off and have him run off?

Yeah, good idea.

SO I settled for just standing next to him in completely silence. However, the quiet was...surprisingly nice. It wasn't awkward. In fact, it felt peaceful...

After what seemed like a fairly long period of time, I saw my dad's car pull up near the house I was in. Before the car was even fully parked, the doors flung open, and I saw mom and Alice shoot out of the car, running towards me at full speed. I did the best I could, limping towards them.

They've clearly been crying their eyes out. Mom and Alice embraced me tightly, sobbing and whispering thank god. I hugged them back, feeling a wave of relief for seeing them and guilt for putting them through this. I saw dad follow suit and he gave me a silent hug.

After a moment, I peeked over to see that Jacon hadn't left but was looking like he was ready to bolt any second.

"Mom, dad, Alice, this is Jacob. He rescued me...he literally found me in the mountain, took care of me and carried me all the way back here." I stated, pointing at my leg. Mom was the first one to approach Jacob.

"Thank you so much, you have no idea. Thank you." She embraced Jacob, still crying her eyes out.

Jacob looked very awkward, as if he'd never been hugged before and wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Alice bounced forward and hugged him too, and he then looked really nervous. Dad picked this up as well and pulled the two ladies off Jacob, was was frozen stiff.

"Jacob, is it?"

"...Yes, sir."

"No, call me Carlisle. You saved my son's life. You have no idea how much that means to all of us. Do you live nearby? Where are your parents."

To his questions, Jacob looked down at his toes and began drawing random patterns onto the soil. Carlisle nodded knowingly and instead took a different approach.

"Jacob, it'd be an honor if you'd come to our house for dinner so we can talk about this. It'd mean a lot for us."

"...I...It was nothing, really. Thank you, but-"

Before I could jump in, Alice was already at his face, her arms laced around his left arm in what she attempted to be a death grip.

"You HAVE to! Please? You saved my brother's life! Please at least join us for dinner! Please, please pretty please! My mom is a really good cook! You won't regret it!"

Alice can be very persistent and annoying at times, but such quality was serving us very well right now. Jacob looked hesistant, but Alice was basically dragging him across the lot, towards the car, as she continued to chatter away.

We all followed her, and before Jacob could get a word in, he was already being stuffed into the car by Alice. I couldn't help but laugh to myself, watching him fidget nervously as Alice asked him where his shirt was.

**Next chapter, Jacob gets a tour of the Cullen's house. What will happen to Jacob now? :)**

**Review makes my world go round (and post next chapt quicker heh heh) Thank you lovelies!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you everyone who reviewed/faved/story-alerted :)  
>Hope you all enjoy :)<strong>

* * *

><p>It was mildly entertaining to see Jacob standing right in the middle of the living room looking completely lost. Mom had ran into the kitchen while dad was making a few phone calls, leaving me, Alice and Jacob in the living room to grow increasingly uncomfortable.<p>

I was dying for a shower but figured I couldn't just leave Jacob alone with Alice. I love her and all, but something told me that Jacob was having trouble handling her tendency to talk someone to death.

Jacob's lack of any enthusiastic response forced Alice to stop asking questions and talking for once. So instead, she sat on the couch and watched Jacob silently with her big green eyes, her mouth twitching with what seems to be unasked questions. She was staring at him as if he was a new pair of shoes she had always wanted. I knew the look. It couldn't end well on Jacob's part.

Jacob, on the other hand, seemed to completely disregard the sofas around him. Instead of sitting anywhere, he stood smack down in the middle of the living room, his eyes fixed onto the cream carpet.

Awkward.

"So, um, Jacob, you hungry?"

To this question, he glanced at me momentarily then shrugged, his eyes fixated on the carpet once again. I saw Alice tilt her head to the side with raised eyebrows. She mouthed "is he angry?" at me, to which I mouthed back "I don't know." I honestly didn't.

"Here, Jacob, why don't you take a seat." I offered. To this, he took a quick glance at the empty seat next to me with what seemed to be hesitation.

I was beginning to question if I smelled horribly or something.

Maybe I needed the shower more than I thought.

For a moment he seemed to weigh his options. Then he walked over to the couch and sat next to me, making sure there was sufficient distance between us. His back was straight, his shoulders tense, and I could clearly see that he's nervous...but why?

If anything, I should be intimidated by him. I was considered quite tall and well-built myself, but this guy was huge. And with those insanely dark and intense eyes and a permanent stoic expression fixed on his face, he was, in all honesty, intimidating.

I saw Alice's eyes twinkling as she continued to watch Jacob, so I gave her a stern look to tell her not to ask any questions or say anything that might make everything even worse. There was no knowing what was going to tip him over.

Mom called for Alice to help her in the kitchen, and to this Alice sighed and reluctantly removed herself from the living room. So there we were, just the two of us. The lifesaver and the saved, sitting in the spacious living room, not even looking at each other.

Silence. Silence. And more silence.

"So, Jacob, want a tour of the house?" I had to break the silence somehow, even though the question was quite lame. I felt awfully rude for having him just sit there like that. Mom and dad raised me to be better than that.

He only shrugged. Of course.

"Come on, I'll show you around. Think we got some time to kill before the food's ready."

0

00

0

I saved my room for last. The tour was short-lived, considering he didn't seem to be all that interested in the house. If anything, he was growing increasingly nervous, as if a monster was going to pop out of any given room.

"And here is my room. Let's see...um, this is my music collection." I pointed to my collection of CDs to one side of my room. "You like music?"

Of course he would just shrug again...so I decided not to push.

Does he hate me or something? I had to wonder. I then contemplated handing him a shirt to put on, but realize that I don't own a single thing that would fit him. I mean, yeah we were of similar height, but this guy was ripped...I don't think I've seen a teenager this ripped before.

Mom's call from downstairs saved me from having to brainstorm for another question. He quietly followed me downstairs, into the kitchen.

As always, mom had cooked up some great dishes, and I saw that dad, mom and Alice have already taken their seats, welcoming us with a warm smile. Ah, mom's specialty. Her Italian cuisine.

I motioned Jacob to sit next to me, to which he followed with the same hesitant expression he showed when I had motioned him to the couch.

For a brief second, I couldn't help but wonder...Oh crap, what if he's like some mountain man who doesn't know how to use forks and knives or something? Is that a possibility or have I been reading too many books or watching too many movies? He talks human language, so that means he's all normal, right?

Once the meal began, I eyed him nervously, half expecting him to start using his hands, but to my surprise, he was eating with all the proper table manners. Mom and dad were exchanging looks, probably trying to figure out what to say, and Alice was blatantly staring at Jacob while stuffing herself with the meatballs on her plate.

"So, Jacob." Mom's the one to break the silence. "I hope you like the food."

Jacob swallowed in a hurry before answering "Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, no no, no need for formalities! Call me Esme."

"Yes, ma'am."

To this, mom giggled and waved her hand before repeating her name. Alice also giggled and silently mouthed "He's so cute" in my direction. I rolled my eyes at her and returned to my plate.

The meal continued, with mom and dad asking basic questions, like his age and his hobbies, and I was glad that they made sure to avoid any personal questions. They had always been so good at reading people.

Then I realized how much he was eating. A lot. Not like a constantly-hungry-teenager a lot, but more of holy-shit lot. From what I gathered, he was on his 5th serving of pasta, topped with meatballs, most of the chicken, roast potatoes...and I lost count of how many garlic bread pieces he had.

He wasn't eating anymore. He was inhaling his food at this point.

Dad picked up on this well and let out a chuckle. "Wow, Jacob, you sure do have a healthy appetite! Esme loves it when people enjoy her cooking."

Jacob, who has his teeth buried into another garlic bread, stopped and looked around the table. He put the bread down and mumbled an apology, as if he had just slaughtered a puppy. To this, dad raised his eyebrows in shock, Alice gave dad the what-the-hell look and mom began giggling again.

"Oh, Jacob hun, don't apologize! I'm so glad you're enjoying the food! And plus, I know boys your age have to eat all the time!"

No, mom. We eat a lot, but usually not THIS much.

"Yeah, I like a man with a healthy appetite," Alice added and giggled, as Jacob slumpedinto his chair with what seemed to be embarrassment evident on his face.

Good work, Alice.

After dinner, mom tells us "young'uns" to go play in the living room or something while she cleans up, so we enter the living room once again.

I don't know what Jacob's deal with couches are, but he was just standing in the living room...AGAIN.

Before I tell him to sit down and make himself comfortable, dad walked in and does the work for me.

"So, Jacob. I don't know how to thank you for bringing Edward back to us."

"It was nothing, sir."

"Carlisle."

"...OK."

"Is there any way we can repay you? I know you said it was OK, but it would mean a lot to us if you'd let us. You have no idea how thankful we are."

Jacob began fidgeting in his seat.

"So son, do you live by yourself?"

Uh-oh.

"Yes, sir."

For a moment, I saw dad wanting to correct him, but he just smiled and continued.

"If you don't mind me asking...do you stay in contact with your parents?"

"No, sir."

"Oh...and you live in the mountains?"

"...Yes, sir."

I crossed my fingers, hoping that dad won't go into the whole underaged person living alone deal and call child-protection service or something. I just knew that would end horribly and probably make all of us a complete asshole after what he had done for us.

"Isn't that really dangerous?" Alice interrupted, her eyes wide in surprise. "I mean like, with bears and everything!"

"Alice."

"Sorry, dad. But really, how?"

I gave Alice another look and she responded with the "I'm just asking" look. There was no stopping her anyway so I didn't even bother verbalizing my discontent.

"Alice, I'm sure Jacob has his ways." Dad mediated the situation, sending a look Alice's way. "Jacob, I won't push you to tell me why or how, but Esme and I had a little talk, and well, we'd like you to stay with us. We don't doubt you're perfectly capable of handling yourself, but it'd mean a lot to us if you'd at least spend some time at this house with us...at least while we find a way to repay you. Please do consider it."

"We'd love to have you, sweetie," mom added as she walked into the living room. "Please stay. We can go pick your things up and help you move in with us. We have a guest room all ready."

"Yeah! That'd be kinda cool! Stay!" Alice was practically jumping in her seat. Frankly, I couldn't understand why she was so excited all of a sudden, considering she hardly knew him.

It was fairly clear to me that Jacob wasn't some serial murderer. First off, he did save my life and never acted in a way which would indicate a violent nature. During our entire time spent together, he was acting like a scared kitten. However, he did avoid eye contact, which was an indication of a psychopath, according to all the TV crime series I've been watching. I pushed the last part aside.

While he did live by himself on a mountain, he seemed to be well-mannered and well-behaved, which led to the conclusion he wouldn't be a threat to any of us. Unless it was his thing to wait till his victims trusted him before he killed them.

I really should stop watching all those TV shows.

And the thing is, something just told me that he was a nice guy. He may look a bit scary, but my instinct told me he wouldn't hurt a damn fly. A guy living in the mountain and shit are usually in tune with nature and in love with peace and all things nice, right?

So I was perfectly fine with having him stay at the house, but I was more concerned that he'd feel uncomfortable, considering he wasn't even able to sit on the family couch without looking as if the couch was going to swallow him whole.

When we all looked at him for an answer, all muscles of his body visibly tensed.

"Sir, ma'am...thank you but...I can't."

"WHY!" Alice's sudden outburst almost gave me hear-attack. She was pouting, her hands balled into fists.

"Jacob honey, if you're worried that we-" Mom tried to intervene, but was cut short by Jacob.

"Really, thank you, but I can't...I just can't...thank you so much for the food, it was the best I've ever had, but I...I'll get going now."

"Jacob, we can't just...let you live on the mountain like that. Please try to understand." Dad tried to reason with him, but Jacob looked quite firm in his decision to leave. It was quite surprising that he was unwavering, considering how mom and dad were two of the most persuasive people I know.

"I'll be OK...I'll-"

Yeah, this conversation was going nowhere.

"Mom, dad, Alice. Would it be OK if I talk to him for a minute?" They nodded, so I half dragged Jacob with me to my room, where he'd hopefully feel less...pressured. I closed the door behind me and plopped onto the bed, trying to look as non-threatening as possible.

"Look, Jacob. I know my family can be a little...I dunno what the word is, and I know this is all really sudden and random and probably confusing, but really, they're good people and we'd really love to have you around. I'd like for you to at least give it a try for a few days. Come on, what do you say?"

I saw Jacob biting his lower lip. He's avoiding eye contact. Again.

"I can't."

"OK...well can I ask why?"

"I just can't."

"Do you...not feel comfortable? Is it your parents? Religion? Come on, give me something."

"...I just can't."

I watched him as he turned his eyes to the window. And for a moment I forget to breathe as I see the pained expression marring his face. It was as if he was engaged in a fight against himself. As if he wanted so badly to say something but couldn't.

The pain I registered from his face wasn't a fleeting kind of pain. It was the kind of pain which had plagued him for what seems to be his lifetime. He seemed so vulnerable all of a sudden. His staggering figure seemed so small, his intense eyes suddenly so heartbreakingly pitiful.

Seeing him that way, I couldn't push the question anymore, but something told me I had to at least pursuade him to stay for the night. I just couldn't let him walk out of the house...not after seeing that expression on his face.

"Jacob..."

He flinched at my voice but remained still.

"Stay. Please. It'll be fun. My mom always cooks these great meals, dad is a great guy, Alice is really fun and caring once you get to know her, and I think we'll have a great time hanging out, you know?"

He's still unmoving, but from his slight change in experience, I could see that I was getting to him. That I had a shot at persuading him to stay.

"Come on, we're not crazy people. We're not going to kill you in your sleep or anything."

What he did next caught me completely off guard.

He inhaled sharply and narrowed his eyes, as he clenched his fist so tightly that his veins looked as if they were going to burst. I thought I heard actual growling, but wasn't sure because I was busy trying to understand just what the fuck is going on and what I had said wrong.

At first, he looked angry, but then the expression turned into that of complete anguish...the kind that made my chest tighten in pain. If he had looked sad before, now he looked completely broken.

What did I say? What did I do wrong this time? How could I fuck up a conversation this badly without knowing?

"Woa, Jacob, relax, please? I'm sorry if I said anything to offend you...I just really want you to stay, that's all."

"I. Can't." His voice was so riddled with emotions that for a second, I forgot how to speak. He looked at me, I mean really looked at me, for the first time since we got into the room, and his dark eyes burned into my very soul. "I... can't, I'm sorry." His voice was barely above a whisper but rang clearly in my head.

"Why."

Fuck, now I really can't just let him walk out.

"I just can't."

"That's bullshit. What do you mean you just can't!"

"Why do you care anyway."

"Because I want you to stay."

"I said, I can't."

"See you keep saying you can't. Is it that you can't or that you won't?"

To this question, he seems stumped. I took the opportunity to push on. I was growing frustrated, sad, angry and whatever other millions of emotions that were flooding into my brain, gradually turning off my abillity to filter my words.

"If it's that you don't want to stay with us, fine, there isn't much I can do. My family would be sad, but whatever, right?" I knew I was being unfair, but I was exhausting my resources in the valid argument department.

Jacob looked away.

"But if it's a problem of you not being able to, at least tell us why. I won't tell them if you don't want me to. I'll give them some excuse, but can you at least tell me? You're killing me here!"

I got off the bed and walked over to him. He's breathing has gotten louder after my outburst, and he was staring at the damn carpet again.

"Jacob, man, say something."

After what seemed like eternity of deafening silence, Jacob opened his mouth, his eyes clenched shut.

"...I...I don't want to hurt anyone."

What?

"I don't get it."

"I...have this...tendency to...hurt people."

"What do you mean?"

Did he mean like he brought bad luck to people? Was he superstitious? Or did something happen to his family that made him blame himself? Is that why he was living alone? I had so many damn questions, but I knew better than to ask him any of those questions. I was already walking on thin ice.

"Stop asking. I just do...so I can't. I can't be here."

"Umm...that really doesn't make any sense."

"I know, so just, let me go."

Before I could ask him anything, I heard soft knocking on the door. The door opened to reveal Alice with her puppy-dog look.

"Jacobbbb, are you staying with us?"

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Please stay?"

As her older brother who knew her too well sometimes, I instinctively knew what she was up to. So I backed up and let Alice work her magic.

She walked into the room and stood very close to Jacob. She looked up with her big eyes, her lips pouting. "Please?"

"I..."

"Is it because you don't like me?"

I knew this was only the beginning. Alice, you make me proud.

"What? No-" He looked absolutely flabbergasted, his dark eyes wide open, his mouth slightly agape.

"Is that it? Is it because I talk to much? I won't if you don't like it...it's just that I really really like you and want you to stay with us..."

Oh lord, she's doing the tearing thing with her ginormous eyes. She let out a quiet sniff for added measure, and judging from Jacob's bewildered and guilty expression, I knew it was working. She never failed and wasn't about to now.

"I'm sorry...I just...really wanted you to stay...but I guess I already made you hate me..."

I did my best to hold back my laughter. My baby sis knew that she can be just so damn adorable, not that I'd ever tell her that. Jacob looked lost as he stared into her tearing eyes. He was clearly not used to girls' crying. Poor guy.

Alice began to cry softly and wrapped her arms around Jacob, which, despite the situation, was quite amusing because he's so damn big and she's so damn small. Jacob has his arms mid-air, his hands sort of floating around Alice, completely lost.

He turned to look at me, so I quickly put on my best sad face. As if I was going to help him out of this. He looked back at Alice, his mouth agape.

"...I don't hate you..."

"Yes you do...that's why you won't stay..."

"No, I really don't...it's not that..."

Alice just began to "cry" louder, letting out her most heart-breaking sob. She had a lifetime of experience getting what she wanted from mom and dad (and me) and it was really starting to pay off.

"OK, Alice, I'm sorry, I'll stay, please don't cry..."

Alice snapped up, tears running down her face. "You will? Really?"

"I can't say for how long...but I will...so please stop crying..."

"You mean it? You're going to stay with us?"

With one hand, she wiped her tears, but with the other hand, she flashed a thumbs up sign only for me to see. I faked a cough just to hide my laughter.

"...Yes."

"OH JACOB! I'm so happy! You don't know how much this means to me! Imma go tell mom and dad! Thanks Jacob!" Alice hugged him again before bouncing out the room screaming for mom and dad.

Jacob looked absolutely defeated, his shoulder slumped. I walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, which was alarmingly warm, and gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "Thanks Jacob. We all appreciate it. Come on, let's go back downstairs."

Something told me this house was going to get a lot more interesting.

Oh and now I know to never trust Alice's crying.

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><p><strong>Oh Alice, you adorable thing you! Don't you just love her? Ph, and I've had comments mentioning imprinting. Should imprinting be a part of this story? I originally thought no but...hmmm...what do you think? <strong>

**Reviews make the writer go...faster? :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to all those who left me wonderful reviews! :) I enjoyed reading every single one of them very very much :D**

**Sadly, I still don't know if imprint should be introduced into this story, but I'm leaning towards NOT having it...maybe I'll do an imprint story sometime in the future?**

**Anyways, here's the next chaptet, ENJOY!**

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><p>author's POV<p>

Jacob scanned his new room with wary eyes. He had agreed to stay at the house, at least for the night, but he couldn't help feeling that he had made a mistake. A big mistake.

Never in his life had he seen a room so grand and elegant...so clean and well-kept. The guest room was quite roomy, with a bed big enough for two people adorned with layers of gold and white duvets and intricated designed pillows. There was a small bookshelf, a large drawer and a desk, complete with a desk. Everything was so different from what he was used to, especially during his time spent on that mountain.

He eyed the closet next to the bed and realized he really didn't have any clothes to put in. Carlisle and Esme had volunteered to drive back to the mountain to retrieve his things, but Jacob knew there wasn't much to begin with and that he wouldn't miss anything. The only thing that held any significance was his book collection, but he had read the books over and over again. He'd practically memorized the books line by line.

For Jacob, it was odd and even uncomfortable to have people so accomodating. He had never held that level of kindness, care or hospitality, even from his own family. He shook his head, trying to rid of the depressing thoughts.

Alice had eagerly volunteered to go shopping with Jacob for a new set of clothes, but he was not ready to go out and mingle with...people, so he declined politely. Plus, he couldn't be found walking around in public without a shirt on. It was already bad enough that he had spent the last few hours with the Cullens only dressed waist down. However, before dinner was ready, Alice had already gone shopping by herself and returned with bags of clothes, telling Jacob that he'll get them as a surprise welcoming gift tomorrow, basically her way of saying he better be in the house in the morning.

He ran his hand through his still wet hair. He had to admit that the hot shower had felt good. Really good...almost as good as the wonderful dinner Esme had cooked up.

Jacob's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door, followed by a "Can I come in?" Jake opened the door hesistantly, allowing Edward to come in.

"How are you feeling?" Edward asked with a gentle smile.

"I'm fine." Jacob answered, as he watched Edward sit by the desk.

"You know, I'm really glad you decided to stay."

Jacob nodded, not quite sure what to say.

"You must be tired. I'll let you go to sleep. Just head downstairs when you're up...and oh, I'm in the next room if you need anything."

"Thanks."

"Night, Jacob."

"Night."

Edward smiled once again and closed the door as he walked out. He let out a low chuckle as he realized how crazy the past two days have been. He had managed to get lost, almost die, was rescued by a mysterious mountain boy, managed to come back home with only a bad leg and now had another member living in the house.

Edward stared at the ceiling while sprawled across his bed. He had so many questions about Jacob. The quiet, well-mannered and somewhat brooding and aloof boy with a crazy appetite...not to mention HUGE.

Despite the boy's young age, his expressions were oftentimes so pained and mature it made Edward forget that he was just as young as he was. The boy looked so careful about everything and seemed to be expecting something horrible to happen any second. He was hot to the touch, as if he harbored a constant fever, and had the most intense dark eyes Edward had ever seen.

At times, Jacob seemed animalistic, with his tense posture and what Edward swore was an actual growl, but at times, he looked like a lost, emo teen who was simply awkward with people. Edward found Jacob...fascinating. He wanted to really know and understand him. Edward then facepalmed himself, realizing that he didn't know his last name and made a mental note to ask first thing in the morning.

Edward felt himself slowly drifting into sleep so he let sleep take its course. It had been a long day...he couldn't help but smile as he realized yes, he was home and he was safe...and alive.

Edward was expecting Jacob to sleep in, but when he was downstairs, he saw Jacob sitting at the table with Alice having breakfast.

"Morning!" Alice greeted and Jacob followed her example, just in a less enthusiastic manner. Edward placed himself at the table and grabbed the carton of milk and the box of cereal as Alice passed him a bowl.

"Where's mom and dad?  
>"They had some stuff to take care of and left a few minutes ago. Here have some pancakes too."<p>

"Thanks. Jacob, did you have some?" Edward asked as he grabbed the plate of pancakes.

"Oh, he did. He really did," Alice giggled. "I stopped counting after 20. You should've seen how happy mom was."

Edward glanced at Jacob, who was now staring at his bowl of cereal with a sheepish grin.

"Oh yeah? That's cool. Hey, Jacob, I forgot to ask you before, but what's your last name?"

Jacob flinched and paused for a second before continuing to chew this cereal. It seemed to Edward that he was deliberately chewing slowly to buy time, but he didn't want to push. After what seemed like a very long time, Jacob opened his mouth again.

"Black."

"Sorry?" Edward inquired with a puzzled expression.

"Black. It's Jacob Black." Jacob clarified, his voice barely above a whisper.

"That's a cool last name. It suits you! Kinda sexy, huh." Alice commented, her eyes twinkling yet again. Edward rolled his eyes as his younger sister continued to violate the poor boy with her intense gaze. Jacob grinned sheepishly, unsure of what to do with himself, before digging into his bowl of cereal.

Edward poured a generous dose of syrup onto his pancakes and began enjoying his breakfast. He wanted to start up another conversation with the mysterious boy but didn't know how.

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EPOV

After breakfast, Alice announced that she was scheduled to go shopping with her friends and bounced to her room. Jacob lingered in the kitchen, not eating, but instead staring out the window.

He had volunteered to do the dishes, eventhough I said it was OK, but he was so adamant about it, I just let him do it. It felt wrong to have a guest do house chores, but I figured treating him like an equal member of the family was the best way to go about it.

Feeling a bit nervous at the very idea of having to spend the next few hours with just Jacob alone, I decided to play for a bit on the piano. It had always been my special way of relaxing and clearing my thoughts. Plus, it didn't seem that Jacob was in the mood to be conversing with me anyway.

I began to play a tranquil melody, letting my fingers take over as I closed my eyes. Playing the piano had always come so naturally to me, that at times, I found myself lost in it, playing on for hours on end.

It had worked. I was beginning to relax and could feel a slight smile tugging at my lips. After finishing a song, I quickly moved onto another piece, one I had written only a few days ago.

Halfway into the song, I opened my eyes and almost missed a note, as I saw Jacob standing from a distance, watching me and the piano. He no longer wore a frown, and his eyes, which were normally intense and pained were relaxed and soft . He wasn't smiling, but I could tell that the music was bringing him a sense of calm.

I didn't want to break whatever it was we were experiencing, so I closed my eyes again and continued to play. Until the song came to an end, the only sound I heard was my piece.

I opened my eyes as I played the last note. Jacob was still standing at the same spot, unmoving. When we made eye contact, he looked down at the carpet, looking embarrassed.

"I wrote this song a few days ago."

Jacob looked up, surprise evident on his face. I chuckled lowly.

"Thank you, Jacob. For letting me play this again. If it wasn't for you...well, let's just say that this would have been the last piece I ever wrote." I smiled at him, and to my surprise, he broke into a shy smile as well.

"It was...beautiful." I was quite surprised at the fact that he was actually engaging in a conversation with me.

"Thanks. Want to hear another song I wrote?"

"Sure."

"Why don't you come here and sit next to me instead of standing there?"

He seemed nervous again, and I wondered for a second if I had made a mistake. I was in for yet another pleasant surprise, as he slowly made his way towards me and sat next to me. The bench seemed small for two grown men of our sizes, but I was content with him sitting next to me. I was happy that we were making progress.

I began another piece, a piece I had written for mom for Mother's day a couple years back. With the last note, I turned my head to face Jacob. He also turned to look at me, and as our eyes met, I felt an unfamilar emotion run through me, enveloping me with it, brushing against my arms, down my back, all the way down to my toes.

We continued to stare into each other's eyes, and I could see that despite Jacob's overwhelming stature and intensity, he was still a boy. A vulnerable boy who simply didn't know how to communicate with others.

He was the first to break the contact, as his eyes turned to the piano. As soon as he turneed his eyes from me, I felt...empty. I shook my head a few times, trying to regain composure.

"Do you play?" I asked quietly. Jacob shoot his head slowly. "Would you like to learn?"

He turned back to me, his eyebrows raised and mouth slightly agape.

"I can teach you, if you'd like."

"You would...do that?"

"Of course." I saw a glimmer of hope as he broke into a shy smile. He nodded and answered "That would be nice..."

We spent the next hour together, as I taught Jacob basic scales he could practice. As we practiced, our hands brushed up against each other, and our arms made contact as I leaned against him to help him.

He felt hot against my skin, which made me wonder if he was feeling feverish. Back on the mountain, I had guessed he felt hot because I was so cold, but here, at home, he still felt strangely warm.

I made a mental note to ask him later, not wanting to break the perfect moment we were sharing.

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After our practice, Jacob was back in the kitchen, wandering aimlessly around the fridge and the table. He looked like a lost puppy, as he moved back and forth between the two, his eyes fixed onto the floor.

"Jacob, are you feeling OK?"

He snapped up, looking as if I had broken him away from some sort of trance. "Yeah, I'm OK." He continued to nervously wander back and forth, and I was completely lost as to how to approach the issue at hand.

"Hey Jacob, do you need some fresh air?"

He seemed to weigh his options before nodding. I led him to our backyard, where I was faced with a beautiful sunny weather. It wasn't too warm despite the sun, and I could feel a light breeze meandering through my hair.

"Feels nice, huh?" I glanced at Jacob and saw that he seemed to be quite pleased with the weather as well. Mom had always been picky when it came to gardening and decorating the backyard. It was quite big, big enough to accomodate a small pond, a willow tree and a number of smaller trees. There were white and golden yellow flowers to all sides of the garden, and she even installed lights all around. At first I thought it was a crazy idea, but when she was done, I saw how beautiful the garden looked at night when she turned them on.

"Dad wanted a swimming pool, but mom wanted the organic touch. They faught over it for days, and I think that was the only time I saw them ever argue." I chuckled at the memory. Alice and I knew that mom was going to win, since dad always caved, but I had to give him credit for trying.

I walked over to the pond and sat by it, staring into the pond. Jacob joined me and was also staring into the clear water of the pond.

Minutes must have passed. I heard the backdoor open and saw Alice heading towards us, clearly ready to leave.

"There you guys are. For a second I thought you guys just left without telling me."

"Heading out?"

"Yup! See you guys later!" Alice chirped before heading towards the house. However, before entering the house, she shouted, "Jacob, now I regret buying you new clothes! You would've looked so hot in the sun topless!" Before I could say anything, she closed the door with a laugh.

I cringed at her comment and turned to look at Jacob, who was staring at the door with his mouth wide open.

"Sorry about that...she can be a bit...crazy. She's really forward and blunt when it comes to good-looking men."

Oh, what the fuck did I just say. I face-palmed mentally, realizing what I had just blurted out in my state of shock. Jacob jerked his head towards me and was now watching me with raised eyebrows.

"I mean, you're a good-looking guy, and she likes- ugh, nevermind, this conversation never happened."

"I'm not good-looking..." I almost missed his soft whisper.

"What? You're joking, right?" I questioned, as I felt a sudden pang at my heart at his comment. It was no longer about the stupid comment that I had made which could have been interpreted in a wrong way. I could feel a strong sense of self-loathing in self-doubt with those words, I just had to address the issue.

Jacob refused to look at me but frowned instead.

"Jacob, no homo, but you're a really good looking guy. And you're tall, with a great body." I added and couldnt help but laugh nervously as I said the last part. I just prayed that he wouldn't take it the wrong way.

I watched Jacob, and to my surprise, he smiled sheepishly and chuckled lowly. He murmured a quick thank you, but I could tell that he wasn't persuaded. I decided not to continue with the conversation, since it was becoming awkward for me as well.

Times like these, I envied girls, who could tell each other they were pretty, or skinny, or simply amazing, without having to worry about sounding gay.

So I opted for staring at the pond again. It was becoming an eerie habit that our conversations were ending awkwardly.

Suddenly, Jacob snapped his head up, his eyes alert. "What's wrong?" I asked, slightly concerned.

"Phone's ringing."

I stopped and listened carefully, but couldn't hear a thing. I tried my pockets, but I didn't even bring my phone with me.

"It's coming from the house."

Skeptical, but not wanting to be rude, I got up and rushed to the house. When I opened the door and entered, I could then hear a soft ringing coming from...upstairs. How the hell did he hear that?

I ran upstairs and saw that mom was calling. She had called to tell us that she was taking much longer than she thought and that we should have dinner by ourselves. After hanging up, I slowly made my way downstairs, still shocked that he could hear my phone.

When I arrived downstairs, Jacob was also in the house. He looked slightly more nervous than usual and was eyeing me as if expecting the obvious question. I contemplated for a second if I should ask or not, but my curiosity won.

"How did you hear that?"

Jacob blinked a few times before answering. "I just have really good hearing."

"Uh huh...wow, that's amazing." I decided to shrug it off. Glancing at the clock, I realized it was already slightly past lunch time. I really wasn't in the mood to cook anything, and was craving something bad for my health.

"Hey Jacob, you in the mood for pizza?"

He shrugged. Of course.

"Meat lovers OK?" I didn't even know why I bothered asking, since he shrugged again, still not making eye contact.

After ordering the pizza, Jacob and I settled down at the living room and began watching TV. I was glad that Jacob wasn't just standing around the living room as he did yesterday. Nothing good was on, so I ended up just watching some daytime show, not even paying attention.

My mind was busy trying to figure out a way to get to know Jacob better.

All I knew so far was that he likes the piano. He also likes being outside, but then again, I was fairly certain that everyone likes a nice sunny weather out. He's a sucker for girls crying, but then again, aren't all men? His last name is Black, but sadly, knowing someone's last name isn't all that impressive in the first place.

"So Jake, anything you want to do after dinner? Tomorrow? We can't really do anything crazy, because my leg still hurts like a bitch, but I'm sure you're getting bored just being around the house."

I glanced him, waiting for a response, which didn't come immediately. His eyes were fixed on the screen, but I knew he wasn't paying much attention. He seemed to be absorbed in deep thoughts, so I waited patiently.

It was disappointing when he replied that he didn't have anything in mind. I should've figured. No additional words were spoken until the pizza arrived, and even when we started eating, the only sound heard around the house was the TV.

After we were done with eating, I told him I'll clean up this time. He reluctantly agreed as I carried the empty boxes (I had ordered 2, knowing Jacob's appetite) among other things to the kitchen to be cleaned and thrown away. I moved extra slowly, trying to buy time so I could come up with a good topic of conversation.

Without much success, I trudged back to the living room to find him sprawled across the couch, sleeping of all things. I wondered briefly if I had been gone for much longer than I had thoughts, but then settled for believing that he probably didn't get much sleep last night, with the new surrounding and all.

I couldn't help but study his sleeping face. He looked so relaxed and peaceful, I began to worry if any sound I made was going to wake him up. I remembered him telling me he had good hearing. But then again, he seemed out cold.

His chest was rising and falling slowly, and seeing him not nervous or frowning or all agitated made me smile for some reason. Instead of the brooding guy I was used to seeing, he now just seemed like a big baby. A big, big baby.

Finding it a little bit creepy that I was just staring at him, I turned around and quietly crept upstairs to my room, hoping that Alice or my parents don't barge in any time soon.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed it :)<strong>

**As you can probably tell, the two won't be engaging in any crazy romancing any time soon. That's just not how I work! HA!**

**Review, lovelies!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! It's been a while and I'm sorry about that! Just been really hectic lately...but I'll have a lot more time now! I tried to make this chapter longer though! Thank you so much for the reviews, I've read them all and well...what can I say, I love you all :)**

**Just a head's up...this story is not going to be one of those...fall in love quite quickly stories. No, it's going to be a slowwww, gradual process, and the further you get into the story, you'll understand why, heh heh heh. So bear with me and...please review!**

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><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

In about an hour or so, Alice came crashing into the house carrying shopping bags (as usual), as I was pouring myself some water in the kitchen. I peaked to towards the couch to see that Jacob had woken up and was starting at Alice with a startled expression.

I guess waking up from the door being slammed shut couldn't possibly be a pleasant experience.

"Hey you two!" Alice nodded at Jacob and me before running upstairs, most likely to drop the bags off. Jacob sat still on the couch, his expression back to the semi-sulking and scowling.

"Hey Jake, you want a glass?" I asked as I held my cup up towards him. He seemed to weigh his options, and I couldn't help but wonder yet again why he had to ponder over even the smallest options given to him. After a few more moments of awkward silence, he trudged over and took the cup into his hand.

The cup looked a lot smaller now that he was holding it.

"So, Jake, do you have a girlfriend?"

To this, his dark eyes flickered to meet mine for a brief moment.

"...no."

Well, that ended that conversation.

"Ed! Mom and dad still not back?"

Thank goodness for Alice.

"Nope, I think they're going to be late."

"You guys eat yet?"

"Yeah, pizza."

"So Jake, do you have a girlfriend?"

Of course she would ask that question right after I had already asked. Jacob looked a bit uncomfortable as he mumbled a no.

"How many girlfriends have you had?"

"...none."

THAT was a surprise, coming from someone like Jacob. I mean, he did live in the middle of nowhere and was prone to antisocial behavior, but didn't women like that shit? That silent, brooding badass type?

"Oh. Are you gay?"

"Jesus! Alice!" I choked out and gave her a warning glare. It was so like Alice to be completely tactless.

"What, it's a valid question. Jacob, I'm cool either way, so are you?"

Jacob surprisingly didn't look offended.

"...no."

"Oh my god, Jacob, are you a virgin?"

"Alice! Stop."

"Oh come on, you were thinking it too. I just can't believe that such a fine piece of ass would be a virgin!"

"Alice, seriously? A fine piece of ass? He's right here, you know. He can hear us? Jacob, you really don't need to answer of her questions. I'm sorry."

Jacob eyed us warily and dropped his head as he fidgeted nervously. Oh dear, this guy was easy to read.

"OH MY- YOU ARE! I can't believe this! You're a virgin!" Alice began jumping and squealing, and honestly, I didn't see why she'd get so giddy with the information. "That's so cute! Edward, isn't that so cute?"

"Will you stop that? You're making him uncomfortable."

Alice lunged at Jacob and wrapped her arms around him, while she continued to squeal right into his ears. What in the world was wrong with her? I love her as a sister but sometimes, she made me lose faith in women.

"It's OK, Jacob. We'll find you someone soon!"

Jacob did not look too happy with the idea as his frown deepend. For some reason, I was getting quite intrigued by the whole news, and watching him all nervous was amusing as well.

"OK, Alice, let him go now. You're going to scare him away."

"Oops, sorry!" Alice giggled and let him go.

We spent the rest of the evening with Alice talking for the most part. When mom and dad came back, we spent another hour watching TV mindlessly until it was nearing my normal bedtime.

"Alright guys, I'm going to my room now." I announced and headed upstairs. I could hear the TV still.

Then it happened. I was more than halfway up the stairs when my injured leg gave up on me and I found myself losing my balance. I felt cold as I knew I was falling backwards, and all I could do was squeeze my eyes shut in anticipation of the impact.

However, what I fell onto was not the stairs or the floor. I opened my eyes slowly and turned my head to see that I was leaning against Jacob. To be exact, against his very broad chest and rock hard abs, with his equally strong arms wrapped around me. He felt almost hot against my back as I tried to regain composure.

Talk about an awkward situation.

"T, thanks. You saved my life yet again." I laughed nervously and peeled myself away from him. I didn't even hear him following me but, there he was, catching me mid-fall and all.

"Your leg..." Jacob started, eyeing my unjured leg. He frowned momentarily, and before I had the chance to say anything or protest, he was lifting me up and carrying me up the stairs, bridal style. Again.

I'm probably going to grow a vagina if he keeps doing this.

He places me gently back on my feet, right in front of my room, and while I felt like I should say something, I wasn't sure what. So my genius brain decided to invite him into the room to "hang out" before going to sleep. I knew girls did that shit all the time, but I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do with him.

"So uh, virgin, huh?" It was the best my brain could come up with and probably also one of the worst subjects to bring up with him.

I couldn't tell if Jacob was blushing or not, with his skin tone and all, but he looked a bit embarrassed. Which is weird, considering he used to walk around topless in a mountain.

"You never found anyone you like?"

After a brief pause, he shrugged, which I took as a yes. Time to move to another subject. It was getting way too girly for me to continue.

"How did you get those scars?"

I knew I shouldn't have asked, because as soon as I asked, I could visibly see his shoulders tense and jaws tighten. I had initially thought they were from accidents while living in the wilderness, but I guess I was wrong. Unless the accidents were really terrible...like a bear attack?

"I'm sorry, nevermind, but uh, I just want you to know, you can talk to me about...things...if you want. And...OK, I'm just going to sleep now so, I'll see you in the morning. Good night."

"...good night."

When Jacob left the room, I realized my palms had been sweating.

That guy was difficult to work with, but it didn't bother me much as it should.

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**Author POV**

The next morning, Edward woke up feeling extra content. Sure, his leg was still in a bit of pain, but he felt strangely optimistic about the day. After stretching and making himself somewhat presentable, he went downstairs to find that Alice and their parents were having breakfast, with Jacob nowhere in sight.

"Oh, you're up!" Alive chirped as she was pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"Edward dear, will you go check up on Jacob? Maybe the poor dear is feeling sick?" Esme asked, while Carlisle nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, sure."

Edward rushed upstairs, feeling slightly worried now that Esme mentioned the possibility of the other boy being ill. After knocking a couple of times and not gettin an answer, Edward opened Jacob's door slowly and peeked in and saw Jacob sleeping with nothing but a pair of boxers. Edward grimaced as he got a clear view of the scars marring the russet skin. Some were clearly deep. Some looked like whip marks, others were definitely from being burnt. Edward couldn't help but wonder how he had gotten them...was he in a gang? Was he a fugitive?

Edward slowly crept up to the bed and called the other boy's name quietly. No response. Edward tried calling a bit louder, but still no response.

However, as soon as Edward placed a hand on him to wake him up, everything happened so suddenly that Edward didn't even register what was happening until he was pinned against the wall with a hand wrapped around his throat in an alarmingly tight grip.

Edward only gaped with his eyes wide opened as panic began flowing through his veins. He felt the pressure in his head build as the grip tightened around his neck and he stared, unable to scream, at Jacob's teeth which were bared in warning, as an animalistic growl rumbled from his chest.

In a second, the hand was removed from his neck as Jacob backed away, his eyes showing an equal amount of panic. He was heaving heavily, his shoulders tense, and soon, his expressiong was that of utter anguish and shame.

Edward let out a cough as he began to breathe freely again. "J, Jacob, what..."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...I didn't mean...I'm sorry..." Jacob took a few steps backwards, his eyes downcast. A sense of fear lingered in Edward's system, but he decided to push it away as he approached the bigger boy.

"OK, I don't know what happened, but it's OK. I know you didn't mean to...I was just...surprised, that's all. Look, you didn't hurt me or anything..." Edward tried his best to keep his voice from shaking. Jacob was now stading against the opposite wall, his hands and shoulders shaking.

"Jacob? Look at me. Jacob? Look at me, please?"

Jacob raised his head, his expression now that of fear. Edward was starting to really wonder about the boy's history.

"I won't tell anyone, OK? I'm sorry if I surprised you while you were asleep. I won't do that again, so just relax." Edward spoke softly as he carefully studied Jacob's movements. "I'm going to leave you alone to just calm down, and you come down whenever you want some breakfast."

After a brief lingering moment, Edward left the room slowly, and as soon as the door was closed, Edward exhaled heavily. The incident had frightened him. The menacing look in Jacob's eyes, the tight grip against his neck, the feeling of imminent death...all those things had affected him, no matter how much he tried to man up to it.

He briefly wondered if it was safe to have Jacob around the house, but shook his head as he reminded himself that Jacob had saved his life. He knew something had happened to him to have reacted so violently. Maybe he was having a nightmare, but that seemed unlikely.

After collecting himself, Edward took a few deep breaths and walked downstairs, as if nothing had happened.

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**EPV**

Jacob ended up not having breakfast.

It wasn't all too surprisingly, but definitly concerning. I spent a few good minutes in my room debating whether I should check up on him or not. The fact that I didn't hear a single sound coming from his room made everything feel so much worse.

Ah, screw it. Curiosity got the better of me. I had to check.

When I didn't get any response after knocking a few times, I opened the door anyway, not forgetting to warn him that I was coming in. I couldn't help but become a bit more careful around him.

As the door opened, I saw Jacob sitting on his bed, his arms wrapped around his knees. He glanced at me as he bit his lower lips. The contrast between the Jacob was strangling me this morning was so different from the Jacob now, I wondered for a second if I had imagined the whole incident.

"Aren't you hungry?"

"...I'm fine."

"No you're not...hey, can I sit next to you?"

Jacob eyed me warily but nodded, looking defeated. I carefully placed myself next to him on the bed.

"If you're still worrying about what happened this morning, it's really fine. Don't beat yourself over it."

"I...I shouldn't have done that..."

"Look, accidents happen, shit happens. I'm over it." I tried my best to smile. When I reached out to pat him on his back, Jacob flinched and shifted away from me.

For some reason, that hurt.

If anything, shouldn't I be the one scared of him?

"Jeez, I'm not going to retaliate or something, so relax."

I tried again, and this time, while he did flinch, he didn't move away from me. As I pat him on the back, Jacob's eyes met mine, and it stirred something inside me. Before I realized what I was doing, I was patting him on the head.

I was patting another man on the head. A man much bigger than I was.

As if I was praising a labrador. What the fuck was I thinking?

While I was expecting Jacob to give me a disgusted look, I was shocked to see Jacob sitting still, his expression seemingly...content? While my brain registered how weird the situation was, his expression kept me patting him over and over again.

Everything was so...strange with him around.

After faking a cough, I pulled my hand away, wondering how I kept allowing myself to get into these borderline homosexual or awkward-as-hell situations.

"Jacob, mom and dad are out and Alice won't be back till tomorrow. So if you want anything to eat, let me know, k?"

"...can you teach me more piano?"

It was shocking to hear those words come out of his mouth, but more so, I was pleased at his effort to get over what happened this morning.

"Of course. Let's head on down."

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to review!<strong>

**Next chapter...fluff, an interesting dream and more!**


	6. Chapter 6

_**The wind feels good against my skin. I can feel the grass tickling my feet.**_

_**The trees are so tall, and I'm glad for the shade it provides. It feels hot, but in a good way. I hear a rustling noise behind me and in a minute I see a wolf walking towards me...but I'm not afraid. Instead, I find myself walking towards it and run my fingers through its soft russett fur. **_

_**I kneel next to the wolf and wrap my arms around it and lay my head onto his. It moves its hand and nuzzles me gently. It feels so warm. It turns to lick my neck and I laugh because it tickles so much. **_

_**Then the licks turn into something else.I feel a trail of kisses traveling down my neck. I open my eyes and see that I'm now embracing a person. Shocked, I pull myself away and come face to face with...**_

"JACOB!?"

It takes me a while to realize that I had fallen asleep on the couch. And now it's completely awkward because I not only realize how strange the dream was, but also because Jacob is staring at me with narrowed eyed. I guess I can't blame him, considering that I just work up screaming his name.

When and how the hell did I fall asleep anyway?

"Fuck, sorry, I just had a really weird dream," I mumble something akin to an explanation, but Jacob's eyes just get narrower.

You screamed out my name..."

"Yeah, uh, I can't really remember what it was about but...don't worry about it. Sorry about that," I lie, trying to avoid eye-contact. It's obvious that telling him the truth will freak him out and make things alot more awkward between us than it already is. Luckily, Jacob doesn't seem to want to push the matter further. Thank goodness.

Because I do not want to have to tell him that I just had a dream about his being a wolf and then his kissing my neck and...ugh, it's really weird now that I think about it again.

He nods and sits on the couch, keeping his distance from me. Fortunately, mom, dad and Alice pick that precise moment to come back home. They look pleased about something, which makes me wonder what they're up to.

"Hello boys. How are you feeling, Jacob?" Mom asks.

"Fine, ma'am," Jacob answers in his usual nervous tone, all formality attached.

"Esme."

Jacob doesn't seem too comfortable with the correction, but he just nods. I know mom's never going to yield, so Jacob better get used to it.

"OK, so we decided that we should have a nice weekend trip out by the beach, since we haven't really used the cabin there much. How does that sound?" Mom asks, looking quite excited. I know Alice loves the cabin, and frankly, I do too. We have a cozy little cabin dad bought when Alice and I were really young. Since then, we visited at least few times a year just to relax and even go fishing when we felt like it.

"Sounds good, mom," I answer. I glance at Jacob, and while his expression isn't quite readable, it doesn't seem like he's displeased with the idea. I guess the idea of doing something outdoor is a nice one, considering how much he's been cooped up in the house. Plus, don't everyone like the beach?

We leave quite early on Saturday morning and pack light, since it's only a weekend trip. Alice insists that we play songs from her ipod and forces everyone to listen to her singing along to terrible pop music. It pains my ears having to listen to the horrible autotuned songs with no lyrics to really speak of, and judging from Jacob's expression, he's hating it just as much as I do.

Mom tells Alice to use earphones instead and tosses her ipod back to her. Thank goodness. Alice pouts for a moment but is soon bobbing her head to whatever she's listening.

We arrive at the cabin just in time for brunch. The weather is nice, so we decided to eat outsde. Jacob looks a lot more comfortable being outdoor, and it makes me wonder if he really is one of those people who detested modern technology.

After brunch, I find Jacob sitting idly by the beach, his feet only a couple of inches away from the water washing up the shore. He looks content for once, and I can almost see a trace of a smile on his face as his eyes are fixated on the horizon. There is usually something very mysterious about him, and right now, he almost looks ethereal.

I don't want to shatter the moment so I force myself to quietly back away from him. I make my way back to the cabin and bump into Alice.

"Hey Ed, wanna go swimming?"

"I didn't bring the required attire, I'm afraid," I answer and chuckle when Alice stomps her feet like a petulant child.

"You suck...oh well, I don't feel like swimming alone. What's Jacob doing?"

"He's just sitting by the beach."

"Is he OK?" Alice looks worried. While she is quite insane at times, she is also a very observant person. Apparently, she had picked up the angsty nature of Jacob during his stay and was quite worried that he was wallowing in depression by himself.

"Yeah, I think he really likes the beach. Just trying to give him some alone time." She nods slowly and makes her way back to the cabin. I stand still for a moment, wondering if I should go back and talk to Jacob. Did he need company? Is it rude of me to just leave him to himself?

I brush those thoughts away and head back to the cabin to fetch a book. Dad had made a small library in the cabin for me, knowing how much I enjoy reading by the beach. There really is no better place to read a good book.

As I near the beach, I see that he is sitting at he exact same spot as before. He probably hasn't even moved a muscle. His eyes are staring off into the horizon again. He doesn't look like he's in deep thought, though. If anything, he seems to be blanking out. Still, I feel hesistant about starting up a conversation.

"Hey Jake. Enjoying the sea?" I attempt a small talk anayway, as I situate myself a distance from him. I put the book on my lap. He nods slowly and turns to face me, and to my complete surprise, I see a smile. I forget to breathe for a moment as I stare into his deep, dark eyes and the gentle smile on his face. It almost seems unreal to see him like this.

"We're having barbecue dinner. Dad's got some great steak ready," I manage to squeeze out, forcing my eyes away from him. I don't hear any response so I glance back at him nervously, only to find him staring vacantly at the see again. For once, I don't feel comfortable with the silence, so I open the book and start reading.

Not much is getting into my head, though. I keep stealing quick glances at Jacob, and it sort of unnerves e that he's sitting there so completely steal. A part of me is curious as to what he's thinking, but I can't bring myself to ask.

Dinner comes around and I help dad with starting the grill. Jake looks completely lost, standing by the table, probably wanting to help but not knowing what to do. Fortunately, Alice comes around and asks him to help set the table. He's quite clumsy, but it's so obvious that he's trying his best. I find it quite...cute...if that's even the right adjective to use to describe Jacob.

Mom is watching all this with a proud look on her face, and I can see that she adores him. It makes me feel happy for some reason. Alice isn't as subtle about it and comments on how adorable Jake is being. I doubt he wants to hear something like that, but he doesn't complain.

Jake eats...well, a lot. It's not that surprising anymore, although it does make me wonder how anyone can consume so much meat in a single setting. It can't be very healthy, but he's the picture of a perfectly healthy teenager, so I guess he's just lucky. Good thing mom and dad prepared extra portions for Jacob.

We spend some time just talking about random things. As the sun sets, Alice suggests a bonfire. Of course. She suggests it just about every time we come here. She forces dad, Jacob and me to start the fire and runs off to fetch marshmellow from her bag.

Mom makes a quick comment how bad it is for our health but doesn't really make an effort to stop us. We all knew she loves it just as much as Alice. So we gather by the bonfire, enjoying its warmth. I hand a stick of marshmellow to Jacob, who takes it, looking confused.

"You had these before?" I ask. He shakrd his head, which sort of catches me by surprise, while it really shouldn't. Clearly, Jacob has a...quite a unique history, but it still shocks me that a person can live until his age and now know what a marshmellow is.

"You just put it by the fire like this...and it gets all crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. It's pretty good." I explain as I demonstrate with his marshmellow. I hand it over to him, and he takes it carefully. He takes a tentative bite. Although he seems unsure of what to make of it, I guess he likes it, since he's reaching for another one.

"I'm guessing you like them," Alice comments giggling. Jake looks a bit embarrassed, but it doesn't stop him from continuing.

Mom and dad call it a night and enter the cabin after telling me to take care of the fire when we're done. Alice stares at me, and I can see that she's coming up with some weird plan, judging from the look on her face. I'm too scared to ask, so I look away.

"Sooo, I guess I'll head to sleep, too. You boys have fun!" She hops off, and it completely shocks me, because she would NEVER leave a bonfire so early. I narrow my eyes at her, not even bothering to hide my suspicion, but all I get is a smirk from her. A smirk and another look I can't comprehend.

It's just me and Jacob now, and as far as my experience tells me, the situation is going to end up being awkward. I try to focus on the cackling noise of the bonfire. The sound had always calmed me down for some reason.

Jacob is smiling again.

But something is different about this smile. I don't know what it is and can't understand why, but I can't take my eyes off of him. It's as if I'm in a trance, just looking at such a gentle expression from someone like Jacob.

Not a trace of a nervousness, sadness or anger.

He turns to look at me, as as his dark eyes lock onto mine, something hits me. I don't know what it is, but I am acutely aware of an emotion tearing through me, as if electrocuting me from the inside. I continue to stare into his eyes, and it becomes clear to me that something is going to change between the two of us.

It's as if I suddenly understand him. I still don't know anything about him, but strangely, it's as if I understand him as a person. It's impossible to explain, but it's as if there is suddenly this connection between the two of us.

There is no telling that the feeling is mutual.

I have to force myself to turn away from those eyes, because they are starting to make me feel...vulnerable.

"We should go to bed now..." I mumble more to myself than him. I quickly put out the fire and head towards the cabin.

But of course, I forgot that I have to share my room with Jacob. The cabin only has three rooms, and clearly, he isn't going to be sleeping anywhere else. I try to persuade him to take the bed, but he doesn't budge. I feel like a bit of an ass for making him sleep on the floor, but I don't dare ask him to share the bed.

It'd feel awkward in more ways than one.

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><p><strong>OH EDWARD. You clueless boy, you. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review! It'll make me write faster! Heh. Heh. Heh...and to all who reviewed my last chapter, you all get a...HUG! WHEEEE<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

Although summers are nice in Washington, nighttime still tends to get chilly. Especially by the beach and more so in this cabin.

The air feels especially cold against my skin today.

And I can't seem to fall asleep.

I can hear Jacob's even breathing so I guess he fell asleep already. I wasn't expecting a heart to heart or anything (although Alice had told me once that girls sleeping in the same room meant a lot of gossip and no sleeping), but I still find it strange that we're sharing a room and he hasn't said as much as a "good night."

Sometimes I wonder if he hates me. If a deep part of him hates me for dragging him to our house. I hope not. I guess we did force it a bit, but I couldn't have just left him out in the wilderness, right?

Right?

I still wonder what he was doing there in the first place. I can only guess that he has some dark secret for living there by himself. Is he a fugitive? Did he run away from home? Does he even have parents? Any relative, for that matter? If he had family...why would they let him live like that? Like some sort of mountain animal?

Back to the issue of potentially hating me. I sincerely hope that he doesn't. While I'm not the type of person to need others to accept me or like me, something about him bothers me. I can't quite put it into words, but when he keeps his distance from me or watches me warily, I feel something akin to...feeling hurt? It's not sadness. No, it's something deeper than that, but I can't quite put a finger on it.

But today was definitely different. I don't know how the beach put him in a very good mood, but I saw him smiling a few tims throughout the day. I think it's the first time I've seen him smile like that. Thinking about it now, I feel...something...I don't know what it is though.

This guy is really messing with me.

I look down onto the floor where Jacob is sleeping. The moonlight is shining directly onto his face. He always looks so peaceful when he sleeps. I feel a bit creepy staring at him while he's sleeping, but I find it difficult to tear my eyes aay from him.

I roll around and face the ceiling again. It seems like I won't be getting much sleep tonight.

Before I get a chance to start counting sheeps, I hear faint whimpering noise. It's not coming from outside...I think it's actually coming from...

"Jacob?" I whisper as I turn back to look at him. He still has his eyes shut, but he's tossing and turning slightly. Now he's frowning and whimpering again. Is he having a nightmare? What do I do?

Should I wake him up?

"Jacob?" I call out a bit louder this time, but Jacob doesn't seem to register my voice. I carefull get off the bed and kneel next to him.

"Jacob, wake up. You're having a nightmare."

He's not listening.

But as soon as I put a hand on his shoulder to wake him up, I find myself pinned against the floor.

And then I feel it. The pain from hitting the wooden floor so suddenly. I can't breathe, and my eyes won't focus. I can vaguely feel something heavy pressing against my chest and strong hands gripping my shoulders painfully.

Christ, that hurt!

I force my lungs to breathe, but I can't seem to. In fact, I can't seem to do anything but blink and try to clear my vision.

What the hell just happened?

A pair of eyes are staring into mine. It sends a shiver down my spine, and I realize that I'm actually scared. I know those eyes belong to Jacob, and yet they're foreign. They make me want to scream, to run away, to hide...but I can't do any of that.

Before I can even force my mouth to move, to say a word or make some kind of noise, he jumps away from him, and in a flash, he's against the wall, his eys downcast. This is the second time he's had attacked me in his sleep, and it makes me wonder just what kind of dream he's having to react so violently.

I try to gather myself, to rationalize the situation. I have to remind myself that I'm not in imminent danger and that I'm not going to actually die tonight.

"I'm sorry..."

And with that, he flees from the room before I can even utter a word.

I try to stand up, feeling every muscle in my body starting to ache already. My legs are trembling. I can't believe this is all happening...am I dreaming? Had I fallen asleep?

Shit, what am I doing, I have to go find him!

I force my legs to move, and in no time, I'm running out the cabin too. It's dark, and the moon is my only source of light. Luckily, the moon's almost full tonight, so it's not too bad. I contemplate getting a flashlight, but decide against it. Judging from how fast he was running, I don't have the time to return to the cabin.

"Jacob! Jacob!" I yell his name as I run. I'm sure I'm waking up everyone in the vicinity, since I know there are a couple of cabins nearby, but I don't care. I just know I have to find him quickly.

"Jacob! Please! I know you can hear me! Come on, let's talk!" My lungs are burning now. I don't know how long I've been running, yelling his name. Why the hell are there so many damn trees? "Jacob! Come on!"

I run towards the beach but see nothing. I only see the gentle waves brushing up against the empty shore. Running back towards the cabin, I see another small forest. I remember that Alice and I used to hide in it when we were little. Maybe..

"Jacob! Where are-oomph!" I realized I've run into something. Hard. Did I really just run into a tree? Today is not a good day for me. I think I've broken every bone in my body. The ground doesn't do much to cushion my fall.

I look up from the ground and see a familiar figure looking at me. He has his back against the moonlight so I can't tell for sure, but he's eyes have returned to those of the Jacob I know. They're no longer menacing or violent. They just look...pained. And now I don't know which is worse.

"Jacob...Thank God, you're OK..." I force a smile and get off the ground, brushing the dirt and sand away. I'm probably going to ache a lot tomorrow, but I don't care. I found him in one piece, and he doesn't look so...violent anymore.

"I told you I would hurt you," His voice is barely above a whisper, but it rings so loudly in my head.

"What are you talking about?" I try to look into his eyes, but he's avoiding it.

"Didn't I tell you that I'd hurt you if I stayed? And look what's happened!" He's yelling now, and honestly, it scares me. I can almost hear a low growling undertone to his voice, and I subconsiously take a step back. He sees me and clenches his jaws.

"Look, you were just having a nightmare, and I surprised you. It's not a big deal..." I try to reason with him, or at least try to calm him down. I know from personal experience how strong he is, and I doubt that aggrevating him is going to end well for me.

"NO!" He snarls and takes a step forward, so I take another one back. "Don't you get it? Maybe today you're OK. But what about next time! What if it's a lot worse? What if I..."

"Hey, I'm OK, you're OK. We're fine, right? Why don't we-"

"It's not OK!" His eyes looks straight into mine, and I'm instantly frozen on the spot. I feel vulnerable, as if I'm facing a beast ready to attack me. I don't know how to reason with him. Honestly, I doubt I'm going to make out of this unharmed.

"Jacob..." I can only manage to whisper his name out loud, hoping that he'd hear me and calm down. To go back to the Jacob I was used to know.

And it worked.

The tension in his shoulders loosen, and he's back to staring at his feet. I didn't even realize I was just as tensed until I relaxed as well.

"I'm sorry...for everything...I'm sorry..."

Is it safe now? Can I walk up to him now without angering him?

I take my chances and walk up to him slowly, watching carefully for any sign of sudden movement or change in his mood. Luckily, he doesn't even budge.

"I won't even ask you what you were dreaming of or about what just happened. Just, don't run away like that, OK? I'll be careful not to wake you up like that. Problem solved."

We're only a few inches away. Now that the adrenaline is wearing off, I realize I've been running around without shoes on. My feet are prickling, and it's quite chilly outside. The leg I hurt up in the mountain is throbbing now. Shoot, I forgot about that. This leg is probably never going to recover at the rate I'm going.

I sit back on the ground, feeling completely worn out all of a sudden. I feel the need to rest a little bit before I return to the cabin. The ground isn't too comfortable to be sitting on, but it's better than nothing.

"Hey, take a seat," I offer Jacob. He eyes me warily, the same look that makes me feel all...strange inside, but he sits anyway. He's keeping his distance again. At least he looks like he's calmed down completely.

"You know how I just said I won't ask about what just happend? I won't but...if you want to tell me anything, anytime, promise me you will, OK?" I ask hesitantly, because the truth is, I do want to know why he had reacted that. What makes him so uneasy all the time. I'm not sure if I'm ready to hear about his history or reasons, but a much greater part of me wants to risk it.

Jacob nods hesistantly. I highly doubt he will, thought. But I can wait, just like I had promised.

There is a moment silence between the two of us. He's sitting completely still, and I can't tell if he's thinking or just blanking out.

"Can I ask you something?" I interrupt he silence.

He nods again.

"Do you...regret living with us?" I have to force the question, because I'm not sure what to say if he does say he regrets it.

He gives me a look I can't decipher. It's not neutral...there's definitely something, but I can't tell what it is, and that's very frustrating.

"Do you hate me for dragging you along to live with us? Do you miss...living on that mountain?" I ask carefully, not sure if I even want to hear the answer. What if he does hate me? Do I just send him back to the mountain and hope he lives happily ever after? Ugh, it already sounds silly...releasing a person back into the wild. Like some...zoo-kept animal.

It's quiet again. Neither of us moves or even looks at each other.

"No...I don't.."

"To both questions?" I ask like some child before I can stop myself.

"...yeah."

We sit still in silence again. I feel relieved, although there is no way of knowing if he's telling me the truth or just trying to be polite.

"I like...living with your family. But...I should go back," he adds suddenly.

What does he mean by _that_? I turn to look at him. He's fidgeting nervously, twisting his fingers around in his hands.

"Why? I mean, if you like living with us...just live with us."

"It's not that simple."

"OK, then tell me why it's so complicated."

"I can't."

I inhale and exhale slowly, trying to keep my temper in check. As angry as I am, I know better than to start yelling and aggrevate him. It already took a lot of energy and potentially catastrophic moments to calm him down. No need to get him all riled up again.

"Well, then I'm telling you it's going to be OK. Whatever issue is that you have, I swear it'll be OK."

I slowly take my hand to his, trying to stop him from pulling on his fingers so nervously. His skin feels like it's on fire, but I ignore it. I take one of his hand carefully around mine and gently pry it away from his other hand. My hand feels so small and fragile against his. It should have hurt my ego, but it didn't.

"It'll be OK. I promise."

I don't even know what I'm promising. Or the weight of what I'm saying. But one thing I'm sure of is that I want to reassure him that it'll be alright to stay with us. That he can enjoy what he has in life, free from whatever is holding him back.

It may be an immature notion, to think that I can help him or keep him safe from something that I don't even know of...but a part of me truly believes I can do something about it. I stare at my hand, now wrapped around his much larger one. His hand feels so strong, but he doesn't seem to be...

I inch closer towards him, still holding onto his hand. It should feel unnatural, but strangely, I feel much more comfortable with the physical contact. I sit right next to him, brushing my arm against his. He doesn't flinch or move away.

We sit there in silence. Not bothered by it. If anything, I feel absolute calm...

0

00

0

"There you are! Christ! You had us worried!"

I jump at the sudden noise. It's...morning? Did I seriously fall asleep out here?

Ugh, my back...actually, my everything aches. Yup, I definitely must've fallen asleep.

I come face to face with a seemingly very angry Alice, who is now tapping her right foot, her arms crossed against her chest. I feel my hand entangled in something, so I look down and see that I'm still holding hands with Jacob. He's clearly still trying to wake up from what I'm guessing was a nice, deep slumber.

I let go of his hand immediately.

Oh man, it's a lot more embarrassing now for some reason...

"You could've told us you were going to go on some lovers'-"

"_Stop_!" I yell immediately, because Alice is clearly trying to say something that's going to make it very awkward between Jacob and me. I understand that sleeping next to each other holdings hands may come off as something...other than what it actually was, but I don't need her to make weird jokes about it, or turn it into something it clearly wasn't.

This is bad.

"We must've fallen asleep, sorry," I mumble a half-assed apology.

"Uh huh, sure. While holding hands?"

I shoot her a warning look. "It's not what it looks like, OK? What time is it?"

"A little past 8. Mom and dad were really worried. We've been looking all over for you. Way to go without your phone," Alice explains, still giving me this knowing look I absolutely hate most of the time.

"Whatever, let's head back. Jacob, you OK?" I ask, although Jacob looks completely well-rested and surprisingly unfazed by the stuff Alice said. Wonder if he heard everything or was zoning out?

He nods in answer and gets off the ground with ease, while I barely manage not to fall. It feels like a truck ran me over. A few times. Seems like I've getting into a lot more physical trouble these days. My bad leg is refusing to cooperate with me, and it makes me wonder if I should have dad check up on it. But I decide against it, because it'd mean I'd have to explain how it happened in the first place.

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><p><strong>Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! A guest had written "At least let them share the bed!"...well, that didn't happen, but at least they fell asleep holding hands! :3 Please review!<strong>


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